


Stitches Aren't Fun for Anybody

by fallingleaves



Series: Chronicles of the Allen Children [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Anxiety, Barry Gets Hurt, Broken Bones, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Kid-fic, Kids, M/M, Medical Procedures, Pain, Parents, Stitches, it's all fluffy and good in the end, the kids don't take it well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-06-05 05:31:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6691582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingleaves/pseuds/fallingleaves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry gets hurt and can't make it to Star so runs home.  The kids are scared, Barry is scared, and Len is only one person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stitches Aren't Fun for Anybody

**Author's Note:**

> For this fic:
> 
> Michael 9
> 
> Leah and Lucas 7
> 
> Wentworth 4
> 
> Cyrus 3

 

 

 

            It was around six at night, and Len was getting ready to call Caitlin and Cisco and tell them that superhero or not, he expected his husband to be home for dinner on time.  That was when there was a rush of wind, and suddenly Barry was clinging onto Len.

            “Barry,” he said, dipping forward before righting himself, adjusting to the weight of Barry leaning on him.

            “L-len,” he said, and he was gasping.

            That was when Len noticed the blood.

            The color drained from his face and he leaned back, assessing, even as he adjusted his grip, supporting Barry more.  There was blood on his face, and he was clutching at his left arm.  The suit was torn in a couple of places around his shoulders.

            There was a scream next.

            Barry’s head dipped forward onto Len’s shoulder as Len looked to see where the sound came from, finding Wentworth standing there.  A second alter Lucas was standing in front of him, another rush of wind and the familiar lightning trail accompanying.

            “Dad!”

            “Le-en,” Barry said, his voice a hoarse, scared, pain-filled rasp.

            It only took another minute for Michael to come running down the stairs.  Len saw his eyes widen, his face go pale, as he froze.  Wentworth was up next to them now and Lucas had a hand over his mouth, looking terrified.  Wentworth tugged at Barry’s leg, touching his suit.

            “Da-addy?” he said.  There were already tears in his eyes.  “Daddy!”

            “Micheal,” Len said, hoping his voice was calmer then he felt.  He could feel blood soaking into his shirt and he wasn’t sure where it was coming from.  “Take your brothers downstairs.”

            “But,” he started, taking a step forward.

            “Daddy is going to be fine,” he said steadily, keeping his voice from wavering, “but I need you to take your brothers downstairs – right now.”

            Michael nodded, face pale, and came forward.  He took Wentworth’s hand, who was now crying, and dragged him away, before grabbing Lucas’s hand afterwards.  Cyrus and Leah clambered into the room now, having come from the basement.

            “What – oh!” Leah yelled, freezing as she saw Barry, in the flash suit, covered in blood.

            “Daddy!” Cyrus yelled.

            “Go back downstairs,” Len said, “Daddy will be fine.  I need you to all go downstairs.  Michael –”  Michael turned.  “I need you to call Auntie Iris, OK?” he said.  Michael nodded quickly.  “Tell her Dad is hurt, and I need her to come over.”

            Micheal nodded again.  “OK,” he said, “I will.”

            “Thank you,” Len said, taking a deep breath. “Daddy’s going to be OK,” he said again.  “Michael’s in charge,” he said to the rest of them, “and you are all to _stay_ downstairs.”

            “But – but Dad –” Lucas started.

            “Downstairs,” Len said, “you all go downstairs now, and you listen to Michael.”

            There was a clamoring of voices, Wentworth crying, Cyrus yelling as Leah pushed him back down the stairs.

            “Call Auntie Iris,” he said one more time, and Michael nodded again before dragging Wentworth and Lucas by the hand back down the stairs.

            Len had to push his worry for the kids down, trusting Michael to call – there was a set of emergency numbers posted next to both phones in the house, one of them being downstairs.  Iris would come over or call someone else to come over.  Len needed to focus on Barry now. He was panting, breath hitching in his arms, and his body was shaking.

            “Alright, let’s get you lying down,” Len said, maneuvering Barry into the living room, and then gently getting him onto the couch.  Barry whimpered, cringing and twisting as Len got him to lie down.  He was breathing way too fast, and he was still holding his arm.  “OK,” Len said, once he was down. 

            Barry’s eyes were on him, and Len smoothed a hand over his hair.  The cowl was already pulled down.

            “You’re OK,” he said.

            “The k-kids,” Barry got out.

            “The kids are fine,” Len said, “did you have the comms on?  Does Caitlin know where you are, and that you’re hurt?”

            Barry nodded, and Len sighed a breath of relief.  “OK,” he said.  “Where does it hurt?”

            “Shoulder,” Barry got out, and then took in a shuddering breath.  “S-side.”

            Len looked down.  He hadn’t seen it before, but there was a deep cut on Barry’s side, at his hip.  Blood was oozing out.

            “Are you having trouble breathing?” he asked.  “Did you hurt your ribs?”

            Barry shook his head, and Len let a tiny bit of tension run out of his shoulders.  As long as Barry was breathing fine and there wasn’t internal damage, then he’d be OK.  He wasn’t going to die of blood loss, at least not from just the wounds he had.  He produced blood at too fast a rate for blood loss to usually be a problem.

            “I’m going to grab the first aid kit,” he said, “I’ll be right back, OK?”

            Barry nodded, and Len ran to the bathroom to grab it, getting a couple towels too.  When he got back he placed them on the floor.

            “Let’s get you out of that suit,” he said.

 

 

 

            Downstairs, Michael clamored for the phone.

            Leah was holding tightly onto Cyrus, an arm wrapped around him, while holding hands with Lucas.  Wentworth was still crying, and Michael had him by one hand still, Wentworth’s other hand grabbing at his shirt.  He punched in the number for Auntie Iris’s phone.  It rang four times and then he got the voicemail.

            He called again, and the same thing happened.  He started to panic.

            “She’s not picking up,” he said out loud.

            “Call again,” Lucas said.

            He did, but there was still no answer.  He looked up at the emergency list and then started putting in Grandpa Joe’s number instead.  It rang twice, and then there was a click, and, “hello?”

            Michael was ready to sob with relief.  “Grandpa,” he said.

            There was a pause, and then Grandpa Joe’s voice changed, going steady, serious.

            “What’s the matter, Michael?”

            “D-Dad’s hurt,” he said, the words tumbling out, “he – he was bleeding a lot and Da said to go downstairs so we did but he told me to call Au-Auntie Iris but she didn’t pick up and I called again but she still didn’t so I called you and –”

            “OK, slow down,” Joe said, “Dad’s hurt?  Is your Da there?”

            “Yeah,” he said, “he told us to go downstairs.”

            “So you’re all downstairs?” Joe said, “all five of you?”

            “Yeah.”

            “OK, Mikey, and Dad’s upstairs with Da, but he’s hurt?”

            “Ye-eah,” Michael said.

            “OK,” Joe said, “can you do be a big favour, Michael, and take a deep breath for me?”

            Michael did, taking a long breath.

            “OK, good – that’s good, and another?”

            He repeated the action, taking another long breath.

            “Good, that’s a good boy – now, I’m going to be over real quick, OK?  I’m getting into the car right now.  Dad’s gonna be just fine, OK?  I know it’s really scary seeing him like that, when he’s hurt, but he’s going to be fine.  Your Da’s gonna take good care of him, and you know he heals really fast, so even when it looks scary, he’s always fine, OK?  Just like Lucas, he heals fast, which means he’s a lot safer than most people, OK?”

            Michael nodded.  “Yeah – I – I know.”

            “OK, so I’m going to be over really soon, OK?  And your Dad’s going to be just fine, but I need to get off the phone for just a minute to call Auntie Caitlin, OK?  To make sure she knows and she can go see your Dad to make sure he heals up A-OK, alright?”

            “OK,” Michael said.

            “Alright, so I’m gonna hang up, and I need you to watch your brothers and sister and make sure they all stay downstairs, OK?  No matter what.  Can you do something else for me too?”

            “OK – yeah,” Michael said.

            “Can you turn the TV on down there?  And then turn the volume all the way up, until it’s really loud?”

            Michael moved almost mechanically.  “I turned it on,” he said, the remote in hand as the TV blinked to life.

            “That’s great, now turn the volume all the way up, OK?”

            “OK,” Michael said.  He turned it up until it was drowning out Wentworth’s crying, louder than Barry or Len ever let him turn it up.

            “That’s great,” Joe said, “now I’m going to hang up, and I’ll call back in two minutes, OK?  Just two minutes.  I need you to make sure everyone stays downstairs though, OK Michael?  You have permission to stand in front of the door or hold them back if they try to get upstairs, OK?  I know you’re all really scared right now, but Dad’s going to be just fine, and you all need to stay downstairs, OK?”

            “OK,” he said.

 

 

 

 

 

            Len was torn between telling Barry he really needed to stay quiet to trying to get Barry to put all thoughts of the kids out of his mind.  On one hand, he really did not want them hearing Barry screaming and getting more scared.  On the other, Barry was already distressed enough.  He didn’t need thoughts of the kids added to the mix.

            “Easy,” Len said, pulling off the second pant leg of the suit.  “Easy, it’s OK.  Almost done.  Let me do the work.”  He managed to get it slipped off, and Barry twisted to the side with a yell through clenched teeth.

            Barry panted as Len placed a towel over the wound on Barry’s leg.  He flinched back and whimpered.

            “Hurts,” he panted.  Len put a hand on his arm as he reached down.

            “I know, shhh, I know,” he said, pressing down on the leg anyway.

            “Len,” he said, “think – think I broke a finger.”  He held up his hand.

            Len took his hand carefully, and felt around the index finger, which was the only one still curled.  Barry flinched back.  Len swore internally and then looked up to find Barry watching him anxiously.

            “I’m gonna have to set it, Scarlet,” he said.

            Barry’s breath hitched again as he shook his head.  “Not yet,” he said.

            “I have to, babe,” he said.  The smaller bones healed fast, and he didn’t know when Caitlin was going to get there.  That, and he might as well get it over with now, anyway.  It never helped to drag things out.

            “The kids,” Barry said.

            “They’re all downstairs,” Len said.

            “They’ll hear.”

            Len let out a long breath.  “I need to set it.  They’ll be fine.”

            Barry squeezed his eyes shut.  “Give me your belt,” he said softly.  Len blinked at him, and Barry opened his eyes.  “To bite down on,” he said.

 

 

 

 

 

            When Joe arrived, he went straight in, asked Len once if they needed anything, and then went straight down to the basement.  He was almost immediately engulfed in children.

            “Grandpa!”

            “Grandpa Joe, Grandpa Joe!”

            “Daddy –”

            “Micheal’s being mean!”

            “’s hurt!”

            “- so much blood –”

            “And Da made us –”

            “Grandpa Joe!”

            “ – come down here.”

            “Is Daddy OK?”

            “Why is Dad hurt?”

            “’ad the Flash suit on –”

            Joe closed his eyes and once again wondered what possibly possessed his son to have so many children.

            “Daddy is fine,” Joe said.  “Your Da is taking care of him, and Auntie Caitlin is on her way.”

 

 

 

            Barry shook his head fiercely.

            “I have to see it, Barry,” Caitlin said.

            Len stroked his hair, but his voice was firm, hand wrapped around Barry’s wrist tightly.  “Barry,” he said, “move your hand.”

            “N-no,” Barry said.  He wouldn’t let them look at his leg, which was still bleeding.

            “Barry –” Caitlin started.

            “I don’t want stiches,” he cried.  “Please.”

            “Barry,” Len said, “you need the stitches.  I know it hurts.  The cut’s not big, it won’t take long to get it done.”

            “It’s not big,” he said, “it’s not – y-you just said so.  It doesn’t need stitches.”

            “Yes, it does, Barry,” Len said, but his tone softened when he saw the look of fear on Barry’s face. “It will only take Caitlin five minutes, Scarlet.  It’s OK.  It’ll be over quick, and then you can relax.  I promise it’ll be OK, Barry.” 

            “It hurts, Len,” Barry said, his breath hitching.  “Thi-this one already hurts so much – it’s not – it’s not like usual, it’s worse, I-I-I don’t kn-know why, but it – it”

            Caitlin frowned.  “Can I take a look, Barry?”

            He shook his head again.

            “I’m not starting the stitches yet,” she said, “I just want to take a closer look, to see if there’s anything that would make it hurt worse.”

            Barry hesitated, and then slowly slid his hand away, only a couple inches, but enough for Caitlin to take a closer look.

            “It might just be that the cut went into the muscle,” she said, “I don’t see anything.  There’s nothing in there.”  She looked up at him again.  “I need to put the stitches in now, Barry.”

            Barry shook his head, and his hand was over the wound again in the second, blocking it.  Len sighed.

            “Barry, you need to get this done.  Look at me – _Barry_.”

            Barry’s eyes raised slowly.  Len put a hand against the side of his face.  “It’s OK,” he said, “it’ll only take a few minutes.  You’re OK.”

            “No, Len, no,” he said, eyes flicking down when Caitlin tried to move his hand.  He started hyperventilating, and he flinched back.

            “Barry,” Len said, “look at me.  Let Caitlin work.  It’s OK.”

            “No,” he said again.  “I can’t, Len – I – I can’t, please.”

            “Move your hand,” Len said.  “You’re going to be OK.  It’ll only hurt for a few minutes, and then it’ll be done.”

            Barry shook his head again.  His fingers were clamped down around the wound.

              “Barry, move your hand, or I am going to hold it down,” Len said.

            Barry flinched.  “No,” he said, panic entering his expression.  Len clamped his fingers around Barry’s wrist and pulled it back.  Barry tensed, shaking his head, but he couldn’t grab at Len with his other hand because there was something wrong with his arm.  He tugged and pulled uselessly, and when Caitlin ran an antiseptic wipe over the wound he screamed as it stung, shaking his head.

            “Stop, stop, please.”

            Caitlin put the stitches in, and Barry started crying, yelling, begging them not to.  He twisted and flinched.  Len held his hand back, and kept him as still as he could.  It had his stomach twisting.  It was always bad when they had to hold Barry down, was always worse.  He figured Barry probably would have been OK if it weren’t for the broken finger before and the stress of waiting for Caitlin to get there.

            Barry actually tended to be better with broken bones then with cuts.  Anything that was over fast he was better with.  The broken bones might hurt more to have set, but it was one quick snap and it was done.  The stitches seemed to drag on forever, and even though it was only a few minutes, that could seem a lot longer for a speedster.

            By the time Caitlin finished Barry had his face pressed into the couch cushion, entire body tensed, cries of pain coming out intermitted.   

           

 

 

 

            She gave him a ten minute break, and then she was looking at his shoulder, Barry’s face pressed against Len’s chest, breathing rapidly.

            “It’s dislocated,” she said.

            “ _Fuck_ ,” Barry said.  His body tightened up even more, and Caitlin gently maneuvered him so he was sitting more upright.  Barry looked over and bit his lip.

            “It’ll feel better once it’s in place,” Caitlin said, “and it’s quick – just one second, then it’s done.”

            Barry nodded, turning back to Len, trembling.  Len cupped the side of his face.

            “Eyes on me,” he said.

            Before Barry had a chance to argue Caitlin had one hand on his shoulder, the other gripping his wrist.

            “Relax your muscles,” Len said, and Barry took a deep breath, and there was a pop and Barry screamed.

 

 

 

 

            The noise cut through the television, even though Joe had set it to blasting, and Lucas froze.

            “Was that Dad?” he asked, turning to Joe, eyes wide.

            “Was what, Dad?” Joe asked, pretending he hadn’t heard.

            “I wanna see Dad,” Lucas said, “can I go upstairs?  I want to see him.”

            “Me too,” Wentworth said.  “I want Daddy.”

            Joe sighed.  He was sitting on the couch with Wentworth in his lap, and he had just, finally gotten him to stop crying.  He started again at the scream.

            “You all need to stay down here right now,” he said.  “Daddy will be fine.  But Auntie Caitlin needs the room clear to work.”

            “But I want Daddy,” Wentworth cried.  He started to squirm out of Joe’s grip again.

            “Shh, Wen, you can see Daddy in a little bit, OK, but not yet.”

            “When can we go see him?” Leah asked.

            “Later,” Joe said.

            “Grampa, I wan’ Daddy _now_ ,” Wentworth cried.

            “Me too,” Cyrus said.  He climbed up onto the couch and started tugging on Joe’s arm.  “Daddy now.”

            “I’ll see if we can go up in a little bit,” Joe said firmly, “but we need to stay down here right now.”

 

 

 

 

            They got Barry upstairs into bed after that.  He leant heavily on Len as they went up the stairs.  He was all bandaged up and everything was stitched and set, so it was just a matter of letting it heal.  Len helped him get a pair of sweatpants on, and then had him settle into bed, blankets wrapped tightly around him.  Caitlin insisted he eat, so Len made some soup while Caitlin sat with him.  When it was done and he came back she said he was all set and to come into Star the next morning to get the stitches out. 

            About fifteen minutes later, while Barry was half-heartedly eating soup and Len was sitting in bed next to him coaxing Barry into eating the food, there was a knock on the door.  A second later and Joe’s head popped in.

            “There’s some kids here who would love to see their Dad,” he said, “if he’s feeling up to it.”

            Len looked at Barry, but he was already nodding.

            The door opened and Len had just enough time to grab the soup and place it on the nightstand before they were overrun with over-excited yelling children.

            “Daddy!”

            “Are you OK?”

            “Does it hurt?”

            “Why couldn’t we –”

            “Grandpa Joe –”

            “- come upstairs?”

            “Dad?”

            “ – and Micheal was mean!”

            “ – wouldn’t let us see you!”

            “Easy,” Len said as they all came rushing up, scrambling onto the bed.  “Dad is still healing.  Be careful.”  He put his hands up, blocking Wentworth from throwing himself onto Barry’s lap.  Len carefully placed him between them instead.  Wentworth grabbed onto Barry’s arm, pressing his face into his side.

            “It was scary, Daddy a-and Granmpa wouldn’t let us s-see y-you,” he said.

            Lucas and Leah had climbed over the opposite side and were now kneeling next to Barry.  Leah was peering at his face, going to touch the bandage there.  Barry reeled back, hands up.

            “Leah, careful,” Len said.

            “Is it OK?” she asked, at the same time as Lucas said, “did Auntie Caitlin have to set the bones?”

            “I called Auntie Iris but she didn’t pick up, so I called Grandpa Joe,” Michael said.  He was sitting at Len’s side, looking earnestly at him.

            Len pulled him in closer.  “Good, that was smart thinking, Michael.  Thank you – I’m so proud of you for taking care of it.”

            “Daddy!  Daddy!” Cyrus screeched.  He jumped up and down on the bed dangerously close to Barry’s leg where the stitches were.

            “Cyrus, no jumping.  Sit down on the bed if you’re going to be on it,” Len said, his attention pulled there.  Cyrus plopped down and then crawled closer and Len had to practically lunge forward to keep him from climbing on top of the wound.

            “Cyrus, Daddy is hurt there.  You can’t touch his leg there.  Come here.”  And he took his hand and pulled him up onto his lap, but he was already reaching for Barry.

            “Daddy!”

            Before Len could stop him Barry put out his arms and Cyrus was practically jumping into them.  Barry lifted him up and set him down again in his lap, on the other side where his leg wasn’t hurt.

            “I love you, Daddy,” Wentworth said.

            “Are you OK now?” Leah asked.

            “Does it hurt?” Lucas asked.

            “I’m fine,” Barry said, “just a little sore.  I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

           

 

 

            They wound up watching a movie, and then Cyrus and Leah had fell asleep, and Barry was dozing, was exhausted, still nervous and in some pain, and Len didn’t have the heart to take the kids away from their Dad, so woke up Leah, told her and the older kids to change into pajamas and brush their teeth.  Cyrus was already in sweatpants and a t-shirt, so he didn’t bother.  Len changed into sweatpants as well, and the got back into bed.  Barry’s eyes slipped open, looking at him questioningly. 

            “Just go to sleep, Scarlet,” he said.  Barry nodded, nuzzling against him.  A minute later Lucas came running in, quickly taking his spot on Barry’s other side.  Wentworth was next, crawling on top of Len.  Barry was still holding Cyrus, Cyrus’s face pressed to his shoulder.  Leah came in dragging a blanket, looking sleepy.  She got in next to Lucas, and Michael took a spot at the foot of the bed, using Barry’s calf as a pillow.  Len told him to shut the light off before he came to bed, and he did.  Then he completed the mass of children on the bed.  Len just sighed. 

            “Good night, kids.”

            He got a chorus of sleepy “’night Da”’s back.  Barry’s eyes flickered open again, a smile hidden in there.

            “Oh, shut up,” Len whispered to him.  Barry let out a tiny laugh, and then closed his eyes again.  Len followed suit a moment later. 


End file.
